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Miami Lighthouse Academy earned high marks in its Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) review, an industry standard rating scale, for its innovative Early Childhood Education program that simultaneously teaches visually impaired and sighted children.
“When we opened our Miami Lighthouse Academy five years ago, we were confident that an inclusive early childhood approach to education would benefit all our students — sighted and visually impaired alike,” said Miami Lighthouse for the Blind President and CEO Virginia Jacko. “Each year, study after study have demonstrated the effectiveness of this novel approach.”
Scores from the University of Miami showed these classes were once again above national averages in the areas of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support for both Miami Lighthouse’s toddler and pre-kindergarten programs. To read the UM Study Summary click here.
As stated by Florida Division of Early Learning Chancellor Matthew Mears, Miami Lighthouse Academy is “changing the world one child at a time” and proving that an inclusive classroom is an exceptional classroom.
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired — in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Early Steps and the Early Learning Coalition — offers an inclusion environment for Early Childhood Education, in addition to kindergarten, first grade and second grade classes exclusively for blind and visually impaired students. All these programs are free of charge to eligible students living in Miami-Dade County.
Miami Lighthouse Academy’s Early Childhood Education program is a certified Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten provider and a national Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment (APPLE) center. The program enrolls students with and without vision impairments, promoting an inclusive program and resulting in a sense of belonging for all children and families. In support of its mission, children without vision impairments are selected to aid the learning environment for children with vision loss.
For more information about Miami Lighthouse Academy and its innovative Early Childhood Education program, contact Virginia Jacko at vjacko@miamilighthouse.org or 305-856-4176.
